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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25211101">anyone else but you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aiienharry/pseuds/aiienharry'>aiienharry</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Direction (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Based On The Movie Juno, Discussion of Abortion, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, I don't know what to tag im so bad at tagging, Juno AU, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Movie: Juno, Mpreg, Mutual Pining, No Smut, Teen Pregnancy, Teenage Drama, but like...it's in the uk so college</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:15:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>18,669</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25211101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aiienharry/pseuds/aiienharry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the perfect world, Harry would be accomplished with a decent job and flat (and hopefully with Louis too) when he decides to have a baby. But the world is shit and gave him a baby years before he’s even ready. Harry’s parents barely give him any responsibilities because he’s just a kid himself. And Harry doesn’t want to screw this kids life up because he’s so young and has nothing to really offer them but love and his old baby crib that his mum has strangely kept in the garage. </p><p>or 16-year-old Harry makes the biggest mistake of his life after a boring night in with his best mate Louis.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>anyone else but you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I had an absolute pleasure writing this story. It's different from anything that I have written before, and even though Juno is not really a romcom (at least to romcom standards) I still consider it one. It's one of my favorite movies of all time, and if you've watched it before that's good, it follows closely to the events that happened in the movie. If you haven't that's a-ok! Also, I guess I should put a disclaimer but I don't own the movie, Juno! Although I wish I did because I love that movie more than anything, but this is just a piece of fan work! I also recommend that you listen to the soundtrack while reading, I did while witing and it really sets the mood. Alos the soundtrack is good as hell lolz.</p><p>Anyways, not to make this too long but thank you so much for reading and giving this a chance. Please read the tags as there is talks of abortion and planning to get one. This also deals with teenage pregnancy which I know is a serious topic.</p><p>Without further ado, here she is!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>AUTUMN - 2008</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Breathing and staring into space seems to be the only thing that Harry can do to keep his heart rate down. That and throwing a pink plastic spiked ball, he won in a crane machine back when he was ten, and the realities of life hadn’t hit him yet. And as if on cue, as Harry throws the ball up into the air, it hits the ceiling and comes back full force smacking him on the forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” he whispers to himself, rubbing at his temple.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At this particular moment, as he’s sat on his bed in his messy room surrounded by little ounces of orange juice, the realities of life haven’t really hit him yet even at sixteen. Even though he has just made the biggest and stupidest mistake of his life (well two months ago he did), and it all started in this room. Sat just where he is now except he wasn’t alone, and he wasn’t going through as much emotional turmoil as he is now. Harry should call Niall, tell him what’s up, but he’s not really sure if he can even believe it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck...shit,” He clenches his stomach as a wave of nausea hits him, probably from the fact that he’s only consumed orange juice today and a discarded jolly rancher he found in his trouser pocket. He should move, pop down to the shop, get five more tests, but he knows that they’re just going to say the same thing they’ve been saying for a week now. But he needs to get up and dispel all this pent up energy, and maybe if fate will spear him, the test will give him a different answer (she’s not, but he’s going to try anyway). So Harry shrugs on his favorite grey sweater that he really needs to wash, grabs a fiver, and heads out with two more ounces of orange juice. He alternates between drinking them, chucks them into the bin outside the shop, and heads inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ed’s eyes zero in on him while Harry picks up another test and slams it down on the counter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stare at each other. Harry’s irritation, growing by the second. “Can you please just give me the toilet key and we can pretend I was never here in about…” He turns over this particular test, which says he’ll get his results in three minutes. “In about five minutes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ed rolls his eyes and hands over the stick with the key attached at the end. “I don’t know why you bother when it’s so obvious,” He mumbles. Harry ignores him at takes the stick and tests. Just as he heads inside, Ed yells out. “You better pay this time! Just because your piss is on it doesn’t mean you own it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry waves him off and locks the door behind him. It’s straight forward he pees on the stick and in three minutes he’ll see if he’s having a baby or not, easy peasy. Except for the fact that Harry is having an internal crisis and can’t seem to piss straight and nearly drops the thing into the toilet. After everything is all said and done, he heads out and pays for the thing shaking it to see if it’ll give him his results faster (it won’t, but he had to try). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ed shakes his head. “You should have given up after the fifth test. You’re as pregnant as my Aunt Mallory is straight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looks up at him, “What the fuck does that mean? Is that a gay joke?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ed looks like he’s thinking it over before shrugging. “I guess seeing as she is a lesbian.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry gives him a look, going back to shaking his tests before what he’s been waiting for pops up in the form of a light pink line. He’s fucked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am so fucked,” He whispers mostly to himself while Ed rings up some elderly women. She gives Harry a look before leaving. He frowns and shakes the test harder. “I’ve taken like eight of these freaking things, and only one of them gave me the line, and that’s just because my cat pissed on it before I did.” He shakes it harder, but to no avail, it doesn’t change shit. He is well and truly fucked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ed frowns and gives him a bag of crisps that Harry is one hundred percent sure has been there since the summer. “Well…I’m wishing you well and giving you an early baby shower gift. God speed,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry flips him off and takes the crisps anyway. His walk back home is like a walk of shame after a night of debauchery. He opens the bag of crisps, staring at the outside of his house, and shoves them all in his mouth. One last junk food hurrah before he’s forced to eat asparagus or whatever healthy things pregnant people eat. The sky turning into a soft dusty pink with hints of purple. The wind starts picking up, and he contemplates telling his parents right now. Just rip off the bandaid before he psyches himself out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as he enters, he bypasses the sitting room where Robin is sat nursing a beer. He hesitates, the words on the tip of his tongue, and then Robin is looking over at him, smiling and waving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’ve you just gone? Done to the shop to go get crisps?” He asks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looks down at the empty bag in his hand, “I…yeah.” And then he heads upstairs. His mum calls after him, but he gives a lame excuse of not being tired. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His room is an amalgamation of whatever weird shit he finds and whatever weird shit his mates give him. An empty pizza box that never contained pizza sits propped up in one corner, caved in with a hole punched through. It was Niall’s doing, but he’ll never admit to it. Random posters on the wall that he got when Gemma left off for uni and some of the bands he likes. Harry grabs his hamburger phone and gives it a good shake before calling Niall up. He picks up on the third ring, music blaring through the tiny speaker.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus, can you annex the fucking music. Can’t even hear myself think.” Harry rubs at his temple while he stares down at his stomach.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall groanes but complies, “You’re not even close enough to say that. What’s up? Did you call to yell at me about my shitty music.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but it’s good that you know your music is shitty.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall huffs, “My music is good just because you listen to that indie trash all the times doesn’t mean everything else is shit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry laughs and twirls a stray curl around his finger. “On the contrary, my friend, everything else is shit compared to my indie garbage. And seeing as we’re in a band together, I don’t think you should be insulting the indie rock Gods and Goddesses least we don’t make it big.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A loud shuffling noise through the speaker has Harry pulling his phone away from his face, grimacing. Thankfully Niall turns his music off, and Harry hears him flopping on the bed. In a way, Niall is the least of Harry’s worries when it comes to telling people about his…predicament. But it still weighs heavy on him as he tries to get the words out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you didn’t call me to chat shit. What’s up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry breathes in through his nose and picks at a tiny hole in his jeans. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just rip the bandaid off</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thinks to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s Niall, what’s the worst he can do? Scream into the phone? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He takes another deep breath, “I’m pregnant.” It’s silent for sometimes, Harry knows Niall hasn’t hung up because he can hear him breathing harshly into the speaker. “Niall?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No fucking way. Who…how. No way your pregnant. Who did you bone?” Nialls says in disbelief, surprisingly calm about this whole thing. Harry rolls his eyes, of course, that would be the first thing he asked was who Harry had relations with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Niall, I’m telling you I’m pregnant, and the first thing you ask is who I fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>boned</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s silent for sometimes again before Niall yells, “Your fucking pregnant! What the fuck!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiles, “Now that’s the reaction I was expected, and keep it down I don’t need your mum hearing and blabbing to my mum.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall snorts, “Don’t worry, everyone is gone. But I’m just…I’m fucking…I’m shocked, I thought you were doing the whole virgin thing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry grimaces at Niall’s words. “Ni, what the fuck? Anyways I called to tell you but also because I don’t know what the fuck to do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whose is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry just comes out and says it, “...uhh...Louis.” He winces again when Niall starts screaming and yelling out words a mile a minute.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy fucking…holy shit ex theater nerd, football player Louis? Our fucking mate, Louis? Your best mate, Louis? Or are you talking about the Louis that smells like cheese and pennies?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry lays down on his pillow, rubbing his temple, “Louis isn’t an ex theater nerd, didn’t the director let him back in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall cackles, “With what he did, I’m surprised he even let him set foot in the fucking theater nerd room after the show last year.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Last year Louis had been on academic probation if he didn’t get his marks up which he did with Harry’s help thank you very much, and he decided that before they go on summer holiday to do an end of the year prank with all his football team. And because his football team is full of sweaty dumb boys that can’t take the time to shower after practice because they think it makes them appeal to the girls in their level, they decide to prank the play Louis didn’t get the lead part in. Of course, Harry had gone to support Louis (and see him act in tight pants), and of course, a bunch of parents and people who wanted to sponsor their theater shows in the future had gone. The whole football team stormed the stage with paint on their arse, spelling out the lead’s name. Louis, in his little tights that hugged all the right parts, stood in the center laughing with the whole team. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis had almost been expelled but ended up getting kicked out of the theater. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that was…something else, but can we focus on me, please? Again, what the hell am I going to do?” Harry knew that telling his mum was going to result in his immediate death, and hell would rain down upon him as soon as he even uttered the words. “I think I’m going to go…you know…get it taken care of.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall curses, “Fuck I…shit. I can’t believe your pregnant. You want me to come with? What place are you going to Saint Mary’s or Women Now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry sighs, “Probably Women Now because they help Women Now but like…they help anyone who can get pregnant they just thought it was a catchy name and doesn’t Saint Mary’s do all that extra shit to try and talk you out of it? Jamie from the year above us said they practically ran people out of the door.” It probably wasn’t even true, but Jamie is popular, and her words are taken as gospel, so now no one goes to Saint Mary’s.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” Niall snorts. “But Jamie is like…a compulsive liar so who really knows. But when do you want to go? Are you going to tell Louis?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry mulls it over. He knows that telling Louis would be the best bet because Louis is awesome, and he’d support Harry no matter what but…Harry is also scared shitless of anyone knowing. “I…I’m going to set the appointment for Friday after classes at like…four. But I mean…I guess I’ll tell Louis sometimes before? Maybe…tomorrow I dunno.” It comes out as more of a question than a statement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you do, I support you a hundred percent, mate. So…when did you have…relations?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry sighs, “About two months ago, I think. Louis had come over…stop laughing, he had come over to write lyrics with me, and somehow we were in my bed and clothes were coming off and now I’m…yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall snorts, “I mean to be honest I’m not really surprised about you too, you always seem really close. Like sometimes even closer than Zayn and Liam, and they’re always hanging out. If anything, I would have expected like…one of them to get up the spout. Christ,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yup,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They end the call shortly after that, Harry staring up at the ceiling in turmoil and also in disbelief that he’s really pregnant. He tries to think about what he would look like with a baby at this point in his life. A baby with curly hair and dimples and Louis’ eyes and smiles wrapped up in a soft blanket…screaming their head off because he’s trying to finish his course work and also rock them at the same time while Louis is asleep next to them. Harry frowns and opens his eyes. Realistically Harry is one hundred percent not ready to be a dad. He barely has any hours working at the bakery because the owners have been out of town a lot lately. His classes have been going well so far, but he knows that when A-levels start he needs to give them his full attention, and how is he going to do that with a damn baby? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the perfect world, Harry would be accomplished with a decent job and flat (and hopefully with Louis too) when he decides to have a baby. But the world is shit and gave him a baby years before he’s even ready. Harry’s parents barely give him any responsibilities because he’s just a kid himself. And Harry doesn’t want to screw this kids life up because he’s so young and has nothing to really offer them but love and his old baby crib that his mum has strangely kept in the garage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t keep you,” Harry says to his belly, wiping at the tear that falls. “I’m sorry, love.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It takes Harry a long time to get out of bed, ignoring his mum’s calls to supper and deciding to stew in his sadness. Niall calls an hour after midnight that he has a plan on how he’s going to tell Louis, but Harry turns it down in favor of showing up at his door the next morning before his Sunday run with the football team.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry stands and waits for Louis on the pathway up to his home. The lights are all off, but Harry can see Louis moving inside. When he comes out, Harry has a moment to salivate over Louis’ legs in his running shorts that stop just above the knee and hugs him in all the right places. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here, Harold?” Louis says as he jogs up towards him, stretching his legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry decides to rip the bandaid off. “I’m pregnant.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis doesn’t move, his muscle shirt billowing in the wind and exposing his nipples. If Harry were having a go at him he’d twist one just to make Louis squirm and try to get him back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You…fuck.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nods, putting his hands in his jacket as the wind starts picking up. Louis visibly starts shaking. “But you don’t have to worry about it I’m…on Friday I’m going with Niall to get things sorted so…”   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis nods, smiling slightly and knocking his shoe against Harry’s. “Do you like…feel different? Can you feel it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry laughs and shakes his head, brushing his curls from his face. “I dunno I don’t really feel different. I don’t feel ill. I think at this point it’s more like…internal, like I know I’m pregnant and my body is slowly changing but I haven’t been ill or anything.” He shrugs, “Mostly just freaking out about it ‘cause I don’t want to tell the ‘rents ya know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis nods wrapping his arms around Harry and pulling him into a tight hug. Louis smells like nasty boy deodorant and pineapple soap that he insists on using. “I just…if Niall flakes out on you then I…you know your my best mate Harry yeah?” Harry nods into Louis’ shoulder, closing his eyes and focusing on the howling of the wind. “So if Niall bails I’d like to be there. Or like…if you just want me there I want to be there. Feels weird just knowing that there really isn’t anything for me to do to help or summat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nods and smiles, taking his hands out of his pocket and wrapping them around Louis shaking them to and fro before pulling away and placing them back in his pockets. “I mean if you want to come you can. I’m going to Women Now, it’s next to the little ceramic shop, the same one I bought your Christmas present from.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis nods, seemingly taking everything well. Not like Harry thought he was going to freak out, but knowing Louis he is surprisingly calm about all of this and really supportive. Not that Harry didn’t think he would be supportive, he’s just…strangely chill. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Women Now.” He says like he’s testing how it sounds coming from his mouth. Harry can see the joke forming in his brain and is already rolling his eyes. “Is it because they help women…now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry laughs anyways, “Yeah, that’s what I said to Niall. Plus we’ve all heard about the rumors about St Mary’s from Jamie.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis snorts, taking a second to wave at the football team as they run past his house. “Jamie is a liar. She lied and said her dad isn’t her real dad and that her real dad is in like…Spain living in a mansion when she’s the spitting image of her dad. But I support your decision.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry kicks at Louis’ foot with his, his cheeks hurt from grinning so much. “Yeah, I know,” he replies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>____</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Women Now is placed right between a ceramics shop and a bakery that is rivals with the one he works at. If you ask Harry their pastries are pretty shit but all the weird uni hipsters that come home from the city frequent there and give them a bunch of business. Plus there is a rumor that the bosses are young and they let you smoke behind the building if you’re not eighteen yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry stares up at the small sign, the horrible butterflies in his stomaching making him want to puke. He was supposed to swing by Niall’s place to get him but the lady over the phone said to check in an hour before his appointment to get the paperwork all filled out, and with classes canceled today Harry decided to just get it over with himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inside is slightly empty saved for at least three heavily pregnant people and one person with a baby crying on her lap, all watching the tv set mounted high up on the wall or picking at their nails or clothes. Harry bites his lip and goes to check-in at the front desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Some girl who looks straight out of an 80s goth movie looks him up and down before handing him the form. “Make sure you fill everything out, don’t leave out anything we need all of your sexual history that you can remember.” She pauses for a second before saying. “Would you like a condom? I know the ones with the little question marks are mystery flavored! Don’t ask me how I know,” She winks and Harry wants to freaking gag before waving her off and sitting down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The questions don’t seem that hard. They ask for his name, age, some health-related shit, and oh, a bunch of questions regarding sex like blowies and anal and if has had or currently does have any diseases. All of which he checks no to. Everything is going fine until all the pregnancy-related questions start to pop up and then suddenly Harry feels like he’s out of his body. He can’t help but focus on everything else but the form like the screaming baby on that woman’s lap and the person scratching their head furiously like they have lice. Every little tick and sound Harry hears and it all gets to be too much and he just bails, sets the form down and runs out of the door gasping in a breath of Harry so big his eyes water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he makes it to Niall’s house Niall is just leaving out the door, beach blond hair practically blinding him. “Christ, Ni. Did you go overboard with the whole bleach shit?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall rolls his eyes, “Fuck off. Don’t try to ruin this beautiful sunny day with shitty banter. Anyways are you ready?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shakes his head, looking down at his feet and kicking a pebble. “Yeah so about that. I went in because you’re supposed to do the paperwork thirty minutes or…I mean an hour before they take you back and I was sitting there and I sorta started freaking out. The girl at the front desk was dressed all weird but cool at the same time and she wanted me to take all of these condoms and there was a baby that literally would not stop screaming and I think someone had lice”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall nods, taking everything in before shrugging. “Okay, so you’re keeping the baby? No offense but I wouldn’t even pay you to take care of my dog.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Offense taken, Harry is great with both babies and animals. “I would be a wonderful dog caretaker and a dad but I was thinking…about like just having it and giving it away to someone who would want it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall yelps, running up the pathway and grabbing a thin stack of newspapers. “You can use this. There’s always a bunch of sad sacks in the paper wanting a baby.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry wraps an arm around Niall, “I weep to think what I would do without you. Let’s go to the park and look.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once at the park they both find a spot right where the sun hits a discarded bench and bask in the light, letting it warm them. Harry looks through some of the couples randomly telling reciting their little message under their photo to Niall. “This couple already has four kids, they say that want another to join their family of love.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall grimaces and fake pukes. “First of all they already have four kids that’s just greedy and second why does it sound like a freaking cult. Pick another,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry rolls his eyes and looks through some of them again. A lot of it is just…sad, couples looking to adopt because they can’t have a baby through reproduction and the rest are just weirdos and a prank from some year tens dressed up as a couple in their forties. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry sets down his newspaper and pouts. “Niall, do you think I’m doing the right thing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall gives him a look. “Fuck yeah. You can’t even remember to come to McGuire's class in the morning how are you going to take responsibility for a whole other human that you have to raise until they are at least eighteen. Remember when you got drunk for the first time and landed in the hospital? Also, the fact that your room is a pigsty.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry reaches over to slap Niall in the head. “My room isn’t a pigsty you fuckers come over and just leave your shit around. It’s called controlled chaos.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall dodges him, smacking him in the head with a rolled-up newspaper. “And where are you going to put the baby bed? What about all the diapers and the little baby clothes and oh, what about the fact that your only sixteen and Louis is seventeen and he can’t even remember to go pick up his baby sisters from school?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every point Niall is making is completely valid, Harry just wishes it was coming from a more sane person. “Yeah yeah I know. Forget it just keep looking, asshole.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry takes a look at one of the other newspapers and combs through the selection. He should be taking this more seriously, he’s about to birth a whole human and give it away to some stranger next to the penny saver. After another loss, he looks through another section and comes across a couple with an actual normal picture under their words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hums, “My husband and I have been trying for a baby for quite some time now. Obviously adopting was not our plan but now all we want is to make our family whole.” He shrugs and shows Niall their picture. “They look nice, yeah? They live in Warrington which isn’t too far from here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall nods, looking them over before shrugging. “They seem way better than those fuckers with the nine kids.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry rolls his eyes. “They didn’t have nine kids but whatever. So should I go with them? Their names are Jennifer and Bruce, they seem like good people, they live in a good place what do you say?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall pushes himself off the bench, stretching and scratching his stomach. “Well, it is your baby. Also don’t you have to tell your mum and Robin about this? Before you get gigantic.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, Niall would bring up the one thing Harry has been avoiding and insult him in the same sentence. “First of all I won’t be gigantic and you should be nicer to me I’m precious cargo. Anyways, mum and Robin, should home right now actually. Do you think I should just tell them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall yawns, “I mean yeah just rip off the bandaid. As long as I’m there to watch them explode on you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry crumbles up all the newspapers except one. “Fuck off, Niall. And yeah, I’ve literally been telling myself that phrase since I found out I was pregnant. I had to work up the nerve to even ask you.” He wrinkles his nose when Niall throws an arm around his shoulder and Harry can smell his cheap boy deodorant, the same one Louis uses. “You and Louis both use the same smelly deodorant, why do you both love smelling like a sausage fest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall throws his head back and cackles, nearly bumping into an old man as they walk towards Harry’s house. “Better than smelling like mint and whatever shit you put on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever.” Harry sighs. The walk to his house is not long but it is treacherous. With each step, he can feel his heart speed up faster and faster. He knows that he should tell them but at the same time, he is not ready to completely face the consequences of his actions. If only he could go back in time and tell Louis to buy a new condom and not one he’s kept in his pocket for a whole month. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall groans, “We are literally right outside your house and I don’t feel like walking to mine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry frowns, “Then how the hell are you going to get home?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought Robin could take me seeing as you can’t be arsed to get your fucking license.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay but Niall I am literally freaking out and you’re not helping. I feel like I’m about to piss myself and throw up at the same time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit I wish I had my phone so I can get it on film and show Liam.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sometimes Harry wonders why the hell is he mates with Niall. “Niall…focus. You are about to witness my death. Can you say your eulogy so I can tell you if it’s appropriate or not for my funeral?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall grabs his hands. “Harry Styles was my mate, we shared classes together and he was genuinely an alright fellow expect that he was actually an ugly son of a bitch who won’t give me back the jacket that I didn’t even lend to him an-” Harry wiggles his hands out of Niall’s grip and flips him off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inside his mum and Robin are sitting down on the couch watching their weird program about animals. Harry stands in front of them and looks to Niall. “Uhh…I…I have something I need to tell you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both share a look before staring up at Harry. His mum sighs, “What have you done this time?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With one final look, Harry rips the bandaid off, finally running out of them (except he still needs to tell Gemma which is a whole other can of worms). “So the thing is…and please remember that I am your loving son who only ask for your sweet plentiful mercy and to keep in mind that I’m on track to doing good on my A-levels and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robin cuts him off with a hand. “Out with it son. What’s the worst that could happen? Have you gotten someone knocked up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry is sure his eyes bug out of his head, he doesn’t even know what to say to that but his mum gets a worried look on her face. “Oh, Harry. Please tell me you haven’t gotten someone pregnant!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall is dying of laughter on the chair closest to the telly. Harry glares at him, “No, but I am the one that’s pregnant.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mum and Robin don’t say anything for a long time. Their faces both turning redder and redder by the second. Robin is the first to say something. “What the hell happened to the condoms?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry quickly squeaks out, “We used them but…it was old and had been in one of his pockets for a month.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mum shakes her head, “I just…I have no idea what to even say to you right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to worry. My plan is to give it to someone who needs a baby which I found-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Next to the penny saver and the coupons!” Niall cuts in earning another glare from Harry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I found them in the newspaper. They’re a couple in Warrington who seem really nice and who I was going to talk to tonight to meet and see what we should do and yeah.” When Harry says it out loud he realizes just how shitty it sounds but he honestly has no clue what the fuck he’s doing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mum gets up and motions to Niall. “Alright, this is a serious conversation that needs to be had between Harry and us. Niall,” He perks up at the mention of his name. “Robin is going to be taking you home. And you can see and speak to Harry Monday after we have had a chat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And this is when shit starts getting real which Harry knew was coming. There was no way his mum and Robin would be calm about this and let Harry take the lead on what to do with the situation. When Robin and Niall leave his mum leads him into the kitchen and pours him some tea from the kettle. They sit down at the table and quietly sip, waiting for Robin to come back to start talking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looks at him for some time, her gaze flickering between his face and his belly. “I just…” she sighs, rubbing at her temple with one hand. “What happened? I don’t care that you had sex but cmon Harry. I literally can’t even wrap my head around this, I thought you were smarter than…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry gulps, grinding his teeth and finishing her sentence for her. “Having sex and getting knocked up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sits back into her seat, Robin walks in through the door and takes a seat next to him after pouring himself some tea. “I don’t care that you had sex, it was inevitable, your sixteen and I know what being sixteen is like but why didn’t you,” She throws her hands up, crossing them. “Why didn’t you wait a bit or get your own bloody condoms or…or.” She looks to Robin motioning towards Harry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robin places a hand on his shoulder and squeezes. “Look, obviously there is nothing we can say or do to remedy this situation seeing as it isn’t going to go away for another nine months. But your mother and I want you to know that we are extremely disappointed it you. But we will do everything we can to support you in your decision.” She nods along to everything he says. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looks down at his fingers, picking at a hangnail and whispering. “Well, I just don’t think I’m ready to have a baby right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robin snorts, “Your damn right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry continues, “And the couple that me and Niall looked at in the paper seem like good people. I…I went to the clinic to…but I just couldn’t do it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mum reaches over the table and ruffles his hair. “Oh, sweetheart.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robin gets up and places his cup in the sink, leaning against it with his arms cross. “So who is the one who helped create this mess.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry feels his cheeks heating up, he can’t even bring himself to look them in the face. “Louis,” he murmurs. He looks up and seems his mum and Robin nodding their heads and sharing a look. Harry frowns, “What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mum gets up and places her mug in the sink, leaning against Robin. “Well, we sorta figured it was him. You two are so closed so we aren’t surprised. I just didn’t think you two were dating.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think he had it in him really,” Robin says.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “What does that even mean? Anyways, what do we do now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mum picks up the paper and takes a look at the couple before throwing it down on the table and reaching for the phone. “First we are going to get you an appointment with the doctor, pick up some prenatal vitamins, then we are going to call this couple and make sure they’re sane people and not weirdos looking to take children. What </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> are going to do is clean up your room and call Gemma.” She waves him off as she starts making appointments while Robin heads back into the sitting room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry gets up with a groan and shuffles to his room, cleaning it up a bit before ringing up Gemma. She answers almost immediately. “What is it?” she says.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry kicks around the mini football that Louis left in his room two years ago. “Don’t be rude. But mum said to call and tell you I’m pregnant.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hahaha very funny,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry doesn’t say anything, just waits for her to get it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s some shuffling over the phone before the slam of a door. “Are you fucking serious? I’m going to be an aunt? I’m too fucking young what the fuck, Harry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry groans, “Calm down you aren’t going to be an aunt for at least…ten more years. I’m…I’m giving it away for adoption.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s quiet over the line for a while before Gemma whispers. “Oh my god is it Louis’s? It’s Louis’s isn’t it? You too were always so freaking close.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry kicks the ball hard enough that it ricochets off his wall and hits him on the side of his head. “Fuck. Anyways I’m freaking pregnant and Robin and mum are taking it surprisingly well. Mum is making appointments and shit and I already found people to give them to. Just have to wait a few more months and then things should be back to normal.” As normal as it’s going to be with the whole village knowing that he got knocked up at sixteen and gave the baby away. Once he turns eighteen and is off to uni he might never be able to show his face here again. He will forever be talked about like, “Oh…you know Anne’s boy? Well, he’s a successful lawyer now but when he had gotten himself sixteen. Oh, I’m not lying! I remember him hobbling about.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry groans and flops down on his bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gemma snorts, “Shit isn’t going to be normal once you give it away. You’re going to get huge and your body is going to change and you won’t ever look the same or be the same again. Your psyche is going to change, H. Like you do realize that you are giving the baby away? That means you probably more than likely won’t ever see them again outside of the hospital room. That this baby won’t be yours?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry turns on his side and places his free hand on his soft tummy. He closes his eyes and tries to imagine giving them away in a few months. He almost wants to cry. “I know,” he says. “I know that I’m giving it away but I know that I can’t have a baby right now and that this is the right thing to do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gemma sighs, “Alright well…do you need me to come up there? I can be there by tomorrow if you really need me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shakes his head even though he knows Gemma isn’t there. “No, maybe you could be here for the birth if you want. But I have to go to the doctor first and see how far along I am and when I’ll have it. I’ll update you when I find out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They say their goodbyes and Harry falls asleep to the thought of a little baby with curly hair and bright blue eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>____</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Going to his classes and acting like in a few months when Harry is showing everyone won’t start treating him weirdly is…weird. Especially when he has a class with Louis and they have to work together with two other people in their classes to make business cards for their hypothetical start-up business. Louis’ business is a place that has robots that make music for you, they scan your brain and take a sample of your voice and make a song. Harry goes the more practical route, his business is an upscale pastry shop that also sells alcohol.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their partners are Lorey and Micheal, a couple that is always on again off and is the subject of many rumors around their school. Like the rumor that Lorey tried to pay some people to steal Micheal’s car after she was told he was cheating on him. Or the time they were off and Micheal got into a fight with someone who was rumored to be going out with Lorey. Of course, they’re fighting while Harry is trying to sketch out how he wants to design his card and Louis is fucking around with the markers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, maybe I should have just stayed at home then.” Lorey bites back, taking the scissors from Micheal and flipping her hair over her shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Micheal rolls his eyes, “Oh please, you were begging to finally meet my parents for months now and all I asked you to do was dress appropriately because they’re old and weird.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lorey glares at him, angrily cutting her paper. “And all I asked was that you stopped telling me what the fuck to do!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked to Louis who was already looking at him. He didn’t know how to diffuse the situation and whatever came out of Louis’ mouth was just going to make things worse. “Uh…should I get some more paper?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lorey’s paper is now in bits, she reached over and tried to grab Micheals paper but he snatches it away from her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis reaches over and quickly grabs the scissors as they start fighting over the paper. He laughs and bumps Harry’s shoulders. “So how is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry blows out a breath and smiles. “It’s good. I’m…having it and giving it away instead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis nearly cuts himself, just barely grazing his finger. “Shit uhh.” He sets down the scissors and leans in close. He whispers, “Like…to who? A random couple?” Harry nods. “Oh, shit…so you’re going to get big?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry throws his head back and laughs. “Umm…that’s when happens when you’re in my condition, Lou. Is…is that okay with you I mean? People are going to speculate that it’s yours.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis shrugs, “That’s the least of my worries, but are you okay with it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nods, although he is feeling a little nervous about the whole giving them away and giving birth. “Yeah, it’s just…weird to think about. I’m going to get huge and then…give it away. And I’m meeting the couple next Friday so…we’ll see how that goes. ”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis nods as well, setting down his marker and taking off his beanie to then go and place it on Harry’s head, covering his eyes. Harry laughs and lifts the ends, pushing Louis and going back to his project. Maybe things will be alright after all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>____</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jennifer and Bruce live in a four-bedroom house in Warrington that Harry did not look up before they drove over to meet them and there is nothing you can prove to say that he did. Robin was taking him because his mum was at work and couldn’t get off for this. Everything was chill on the drive over, Robin even let Harry play one of his cd’s with his and only complained three times. It was as they pulled up and into their driveway that Harry started to feel sick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hesitated with ringing the doorbell, knocking on the door for good measure, and hoping these people didn’t turn out to be horrible. A woman, who Harry presumes is Jennifer, opens the door with a bright smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello! I hope the drive over wasn’t too bad! How are you?” she said in a cherry posh voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All the nerves that were bundled up in Harry dissipated as he shook her hand. “I’m doing good. Do you have some water?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jennifer shook Robin’s hand and let them inside and into the sitting room, leaving to get Harry some water and to get her husband. On the couch adjacent to them was another woman. She held out her hand and introduced herself as their lawyer Marjorie.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as Jennifer came back with his water Harry gulped it all down right after he was introduced to Bruce. They all stared at him. “Shit,” he burped. “Sorry I was so thirsty and I forgot my water bottle at home.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he burped again Robin sighed. “Sorry my stepson is…well you can see him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiles and ignores the connotation to Robin’s words and fiddles with his fingers. “So what do you two do? Your house is cool and big.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jennifer looks to Bruce before speaking. “Oh well, I am in charge of a section down at the local hospital and Bruce works in Manchester making designs and slogans and jingles and all those things.” It looks like Bruce prickles under her words but Harry ignores it and clasps his hands together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Before we get started can I use your toilet? The baby has been messing about with my bladder so I piss like every five seconds.” Jennifer directs him towards the downstairs toilet and Harry sighs as he pisses. Once he’s done he decides to snoop around a bit to see if they’re pulling the wool over his eyes and hiding something. All he finds is weird hand creams and face washes. He decides to use some of the hand creams after he washes his hands, marveling at how soft they are.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After being away too long and not finding anything interesting Harry heads back and flops down on the couch. “So…what now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marjorie outlines their plan. “We were thinking of an open adoption.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry hums, “Uhh, what’s that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” she starts. “They would send you photos and videos of the baby so you would know how they are doing. Maybe a few monthly updates throughout the year?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry blanched, “Umm, how about we just do a picture a year? I don’t…having the baby and giving them up and getting pictures and videos of them being raised by other people would be…I’m sorry but it would just be too much for me. One picture at the end of the year is fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jennifer looked at him with wide eyes. “Oh, are you sure?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded and Majorie wrote some things down in her notebook. “Okay well, that was pretty simple umm. In the contract, there is a clause that states that at any moment during the pregnancy and birth that you would like to keep the baby you can. This would be null after the baby has been placed in Misses Martin’s arms. Do you agree to those terms?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looks to Robin, throat closing up and hands slightly shaking. It hasn’t dawned on him until this moment that he is giving the baby away, and will most likely not ever see them again or feel them or touch them. He nods, “Yeah, I agree.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>____</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Band practice is a quiet affair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zayn is messing about on the keyboard, Liam is putting together his drum set because apparently, his mum dismantled it while cleaning out the garage. Niall was on bass and Harry was now strumming and taking over lead vocals now that Louis stopped showing up. Coming once in a blue moon whenever he felt like.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They weren’t really supposed to have practice, but Harry called an early one so that he could tell them all about the baby.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did anyone tell Louis?” Zayn asked, pressing down on random keys and just making a bunch of random noises.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nods, “Yeah, he said he would come.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Liam scoffed, “Which means he won’t be coming.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who knows Liam,” Zayn says, “He just might surprise us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oi! Do I hear Liam chatting shit about me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Liam groaned, “Maybe we shouldn’t have told him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looks over, frown replaced with a smile as Louis strolls in with his guitar resting across his back. He makes a beeline to Harry, giving him a tight hug and wiping his sweat-covered forehead onto Harry’s cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pushes him away, “Ew, gross.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis just smiles, goes over, and gives each of the boys a hug and messes around with the cymbals while Liam tries to stop him. “Alright alright, what are we thinking of playing first? Cover or something original?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall raises his hands, smirking at Harry, “I nominate Jenny Don’t Be Hasty.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry groans, “Fuck off, Neil.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis laughs, walking over and throwing an arm around Harry, swaying them back and forth. “How about we sing something original this time,” Louis says, “We’ve spent a lot of time doing covers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Liam raises an eyebrow, “You mean we, sans you, have spent a lot of time doing covers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, whatever.” Louis waves the hand that’s not around Harry. “Let’s start with Pink Matter, Zayn will you please lead us in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zayn nods, staring the keys, “Sure thing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” Harry says he wanted to tell them before practice started. “I…I have something to tell you all. Well…really only Liam and Zayn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They turn to look at him, Louis is messing about with the guitar cable with his feet, looks up and gives Harry a tentative smile. He shrugs. “Me and Harry actually, have something to say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looks back at Liam and Zayn as they look at him expectantly. “So,” he starts, “I’m pregnant.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nobody says anything for a little while, Zayn gasp while Liam looked ready to pass out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Liam splutters, “I…does that mean your quitting the band?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall groans, “Christ, forget about the band.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit,” Zayn says, walking over and patting Harry’s belly. “I’m going to be a godparent.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umm, why the fuck what you be the godparent?” Niall says, “Me and Harry are closer than he is with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zayn rolls his eyes, walking back over to his keyboard. “Because I’m more responsible than all of you combined. Sorry, Liam.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Liam pouts, “Offence taken. How are you more responsible than me? What about all the times you joined choir and band only to rejoin like a month later and quite a month later? Or the time you forgot you were babysitting your sisters? Or the time you almost lost your families car? Or-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” He huffs, “But I’m still more responsible than you all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umm…” Harry hates to tell them that no one will get to be a godparent, plus he wouldn’t have picked any of them either. Gemma would go first and then maybe his Aunt or someone in Louis’ family. They’d at least be behind four other people. “So about that…I’m not keeping the baby. I’m giving it up for adoption.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s quiet again. Harry looks over at a frowning Louis, lazily strumming his guitar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Liam is the first to speak again, “Well either way if you were to keep the baby I should be the godparent.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope,” Niall says, “The baby would go to me right, Harry?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He scoffs, “None of you would be my first choice, and Niall…you are my best mate so you would be first, then Zayn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Liam whines, “Hey what about me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugs, “Well if you and Zayn are still a couple technically the baby would go to you too if it were to go to Zayn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis hasn’t said anything in a while, Harry nudges him with his foot and receives a smile and an air kiss. He pockets the air kiss and sends one back, cheeks heating up when Louis catches it and puts it over his heart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon after the novelty of Harry’s pregnancy wears off and they stop fighting over who will be a godparent to a child they will probably never interact with, they start to practice. Things are going good, they practice a few original songs and one cover until they start to get too loud and get kicked out by Liam’s mum.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis offers to walk Harry home, and now they’re walking shoulder to shoulder with only the sounds of cars passing by to fill the silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry decides to say something as they get closer to his house, “So…will you be attending practice more often now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis snorts, “Well you know me. I do like, a million things now so who knows.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We literally only practice like three times a month, Lou. You can make it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He groans, “I’ll try but I won’t make promises. Really it’s the football team that’s taking a lot of time away from the band.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry gives him a look, rolling his eyes. “Don’t know how you can stand to be around them. They all suck, and they smell.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They continue to bump into each other as they walk, and somehow along the way Louis’ hand is in his, and Harry can’t stop the smile that grows on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh,” he looks down at their hands and then up again. He feels a bit nauseated because of the baby, and maybe something else. “Well, we’re here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That we are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stand outside of Harry’s house, still holding hands. Louis rubs the back of his neck, bending down and picking a small white flower. He hands it off to Harry, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and then heading back down the street with a wave. Harry doesn’t know what to say or what to think about what just happened. So he stands there and watches as Louis leaves. He and Louis have always been closer than most. Even though he is really close with Niall, his relationship with Louis is different in a lot of ways. Like he and Niall have never kissed or had sex that resulted in a baby being produced. Niall doesn’t look at him…like that or is all touchy-feely with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This is all new territory for them, at least whatever just happened now has never really happened before. In the events that lead up to them producing a baby they were still casual mates just messing around and then boom, they were kissing. It should be a lot scarier, the things he’s starting to feel for Louis, but they don’t feel all that new. It’s like they’ve been dormant for a long time and now his feelings are being activated. Either that or the supposed butterflies he feels in his stomach is just nausea from the baby. But he knows deep down it’s different, maybe the baby just brings out his feelings a bit more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smells the flower, smiling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Winter</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Word around sixth form travels fast, which doesn’t surprise Harry at all since it took an hour for the rumor to spread that Kelly from their class last year got caught with her pants down drunk in a field with a couple of other girls during some festival a few cities over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So no, it doesn’t surprise Harry that by the end of November and into the first couple of weeks in December that the whole school finds out about him being pregnant. It spreads like wildfire, like a bad case of the shits after eating at Tony’s for a fry-up after a night out. Also because he’s sorta started to show, and he curses his self the week before school started for buying tight shirts that barely covers the bottom of his belly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall of course relishes in all the attention, waving when people are staring at Harry’s belly and pushing them out of the way when they walk to class. Harry has had enough of it all by the time he finishes his last class, tired of getting stares from the teachers and after the headmaster pulled him aside to ask him if he’s finishing off this year.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He huffs as he puts away his things in his locker. Niall waves at a couple of football players loitering around in the hallway staring at, guess who, Harry. “They act like nobody at this school has been pregnant before.” Harry bites out. Louis is at theater practice so he can’t get his mates together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall pats Harry’s belly softly. “Yeah, we usually have one everyone year. But I guess people didn’t expect it from you.” Harry bats his hand away and heads out, Niall eagerly on his trail. “Why don’t you tell Louis what they’re doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry spins around, “Because all it’s going to do is start trouble and I don’t want anyone to know it’s his.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall snorts, “Um, everyone literally always knows.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall nods, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and leading how down the street and towards Harry’s house. He has a doctor’s appointment today which he told Louis about, but told him practice is more important and that he’ll keep him updated. “Yeah everyone already knew how close you and Louis are so they put to and to together. It didn’t help that Tommo basically didn’t deny anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry frowns, “Why the fuck didn’t he deny anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall shrugs, “I dunno. When is the last time you talked to him outside of whenever he decides to fuck around and come to band practice.” Harry clamps his mouth shut. He hasn’t spoken to Louis is a few weeks really. Whenever he sees him he’s with his football team and Harry doesn’t want to risk the migraine from being around them for too long. Also, he’s pretty sure Danny, Louis right-hand man, has a huge crush on Harry and he won’t stop staring at his stomach. It makes Harry shudder every time he catches him. So, Louis is either with them at practice, or he’s out running or with his family which…Harry won’t ever be able to show his face around if they know.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry stays silent the rest of the way home, letting Niall chatter away. The drive over to the doctors is nerve-racking and only because Harry can’t believe for the life of him why Louis wouldn’t stop people from spreading around that the baby is his. Louis’ always said he doesn’t care what people think of him because they’ve already made their minds up, that he’s a fuck up and a burn out who probably won’t be going to uni. Harry will always defend Louis honor, and it pisses him off whenever a rumor spreads around sixth form about Louis that’s obviously not true. Even though this one is obviously is true.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time they check-in and the nurse is putting the cold ultrasound lube on his belly, Harry finally snaps out of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she says. “It might take a minute but soon you are going to be able to see your baby on the monitor.” She moves the wand around a lot, and Harry has to stop himself from squirming with how much it tickles. Everyone is quiet as they stare at the screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon the outline or whatever it’s called of the baby pops up on the screen and the room is filled with yelling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god!” Niall yells, grabbing Harry’s hand and squeezing tight. “Holy shit! Its head is as big as yours.” His mum doesn’t even try to reprime him, staring at the screen in awe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wipes away a tear. “They are so beautiful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As much as Harry wants to look away he can’t. There is an actual baby in his stomach swimming around with his big head and Louis’s nose. “He has Louis’s nose. I can tell, and my lips maybe.” Everything seems to get so real now. When he first went to the doctors when he first found out he couldn’t see anything but a dot, now it looks like an actual baby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall gaffs, “Look at its little fingers and toes. Do they grow fingernails in the womb? What if it scratches you when it comes out. I can’t believe that’s going to be an actual human.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, babies do grow fingernails while in the womb, and no they do not scratch the mother…or father when they come out.” The nurse smiles at them, “You seem to be completely healthy, I know your mum says you’re taking the right vitamins, and that she’s been keeping you on a strict healthy diet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry scoffs, “Yeah, she won’t let me eat any sweets anymore or anything that I like to eat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mum slaps his shoulder, “Oh please, you needed to start eating healthier anyways.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, now every once and a while you can indulge yourself, but it’s good that your mum is making you eat healthily, you should be doing that even if you weren’t having a baby. As someone who works in pediatrics, I see far too many teenagers just eat absolute crap and think that because their young nothing will happen to them.” She purses her lips, moving around the wand a little bit more and asks, “So if you don’t have any questions, and you’re in tip-top shape. Would you like multiple pictures of the scan?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mum nods eagerly, “Oh yes please, sorry, thank you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The nurse leaves after handing Harry a napkin to wipe his belly with. Harry wipes off the lube-y stuff but before he gets up he closes his eyes and touches his belly, a thing he’s been avoiding for a while. The way it protrudes outwards always freaked him out when looking at other pregnant people, but on him, he kind of doesn’t mind it. It looks like he has a beer belly, and when he tells Niall they both start laughing while his mum rolls her eyes at them. He can sorta feel them moving around…or maybe it’s because he’s hungry but still. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As they drive home, dropping Niall off at his mates house, Harry can’t stop looking at the mini scan in his hand. He was going to wait until tomorrow at school to show Louis if he could finally get him alone and away from his football team, but he just can’t bring himself to wait. He’s been so dismissive of Louis and his involvement in the babies life, always telling him that practice is better than going to watch Harry at the doctor’s office, and that’s it’s always boring just waiting around so they can scan his belly and ask the same questions over and over. He knows it makes Louis feel excluded, but what’s the point when he’s not even keeping it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as the car stops in their driveway he hops out and started running off as best as he can down the street, before he turned the corner he yelled out to his mum, “I’m going to Louis’s!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She waves him off and he continues on his way, walking past a few shops before turning into the neighborhood where Louis’ house was. He pauses in front of the front door, catching his breath before knocking. Jay opens the door while holding a comb and a brush, her eyes widen, immediately going to his belly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Harry! Long time no see.” She says, her smile bright and welcoming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry blushes, “Yeah, I’ve been going through…a lot of changes recently. I’m just here to see Louis, is he home.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jay nods and ushers him in, “Harry I-” she stops him, “I just wanted to let you know that you’re always welcomed here no matter what…has been happening with you. And that I know about you and Louis, he told me, and I know that you’re not keeping the baby.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t know what to say, his heart racing, “I…he told you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nods, her eyes soft, “Yes he told me, said he wanted to before anyone else got the chance, but I’m not mad just…just know that I support you boy’s decision.” She gives him a big hug before letting him walk up to Louis’ room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry knocks quietly before opening the door. He’s blown back with how clean his room is, it’s usually way messier than Harry’s. Louis quickly looks over when Harry enters and sets aside his guitar, standing up and hugging him. “Hey, mate. How are you?” he asks, ushering him onto one of the big bean bag chairs in the corner while he sits on the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugs, still stunned by the brief conversation he just had with Louis’ mum. “I…” He pulls out the scan, laying his head down on Louis’ shoulder. “I went to the doctor today and they took a scan of the baby, it’s bigger than all the other scans and you can see it clearer now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis takes the scan like it’s the most precious thing in the world. “Wow, can’t believe it’s like…inside you right now. It’s strange to think,”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nods, “Niall says it has my big head.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis laughs, “Well he is right I’ll give him that.” Harry playfully shoves him, reaching over and tracing the nose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In a voice barely above a whisper, he says. “I think he has your nose.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis looks at him, eyes glossed over. “Really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nods, “Yeah, my big head and your nose. Along with a couple of fingers and toes.” He pauses before saying, “The doctor says that they’ve got fingernails and everything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis traces the baby’s small hand, his smiles wavers like he’s trying to stop himself from crying. It would be a lie to say Harry hasn’t been having doubts about whether he should keep the baby. Imagines himself with a newborn in his lap screaming it’s little head off. Every time he thinks he could do, every time he thinks of his support system and Louis all being there as they raise a kid together he’s brought back down to earth by someone else or by his lack of foresight. Like the time he forgot to feed the cats before he went off to class. Or just last week when he didn’t take his vitamins for a whole week because he lost them in his junky room that his mum had to help him clean and find. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry snorts, “We are such saps.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis laughs, setting the scan down on his desk before cuddling Harry again. “So how are things with the band?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry rolls his eyes, “You would know if you bothered to show up to practice.” Louis winces and Harry sighs. “But things are alright I guess, we sorta need you to show up because we sound weird without you. Plus Liam is turning into a little tyrant and Zayn thinks it’s funny to start playing random keys to a completely different song on the keyboard while we play another just to get Liam rilled up. And Niall…Niall is just Niall.” He’s probably the only one who tries to take anything seriously anymore, and with Louis not there to back Harry up their practices always end with Liam storming off and Zayn following him and the last time Harry tried to follow to see where they were going he walked in on something he wished he hadn’t seen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Louis murmurs, his head slowly dropping down so it’s resting softly against Harry’s belly. He smiles and rakes a hand through Louis’ hair. “I’ve just been busy trying to get back on Mister Eugene’s good side again. He’s been making me run lines and help out around the stage making sets and shit. Like I’m fucking painting details on a cloud when I could be doing more interesting shit like fucking around with the lights or being with you. And then football is stressing me out because all the guys want to do is poke fun at me for…” Louis trails off and doesn’t finish his thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry purses his lips, finally getting the chance to ask, “Why didn’t you just deny the rumors? You know that people are going to give you shit about it. They give me shit about it, but more behind my back.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis shrugs as best as he can. “I dunno. There was no point in denying it really, everyone knows how close we are. They all think we’re like…dating and shit. So there was no point in denying anything.” Louis lifts up and pouts, “M’sorry if that like…is something you didn’t want people to know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shakes his head, wrapping his arms around Louis and pulling him into a hug. He might as well start hugging him more often before his bump gets in the way. “I just was more worried about you. I mean, I hate when people spread shit around about you when it’s not true.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis pulls back and gives him a look. “Well, the rumor is true because it is like…half mine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know that doofus,” Harry huffs, licking at his lips. “With your mum and everything I just didn’t think you’d want people to find out about.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis picks up the scan and places it on Harry’s belly before picking up his guitar and strumming. “Well,” he starts. “That’s a little too late because my mum already knows. Why do you think I’m here and not out wreaking havoc on the village.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiles, “So, your not allowed to leave your house or summat?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis shakes his head. “Nope, mum said I go to school, do my classes, practice, and then back. She doesn’t want me to get into any more shenanigans.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry snorts, “What else could you get up to? My mum said the same thing and then I was like ‘well what other shit can I get into if I’m already pregnant’ so basically I have more freedom than you.” He flicks Louis’ ear just because he can and because Louis can’t tackle him and wrestle him to the floor anymore. “So suck on that, Tomlinson.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, whatever.” Louis grabs a black pen, leans down, and doodles onto Harry’s shoe like he loves to do with his own. He draws a smiley face with x’s as the eyes, then he’s drawing a little ‘L’ beside it, and another one on the palm of his hand. The baby kicks and Harry starts to get butterflies in his stomach/ If he was much braver, he things he would kiss Louis. But he hates to think that the feelings he feels are just the baby bring them out. And then Louis is looking up at Harry after drawing a dick on his other shoe and some random curse words and the baby kicks again as his heart starts beating faster. “What?” Louis says.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shakes his head. He can feel his face heating up as tries to suppress a smile, “Nothing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They mess around on the guitar for a bit before Harry has to head home, and just before he is out of the door after declining Jay’s offer to give him a ride, Louis comes running down the stairs to give Harry back the scan. He looks at him sheepishly, “Don’t uhh…forget this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shakes his head, “You can keep it if you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugs, “Yeah I mean my mum has like hundreds of them now. Dunno what she’s going to do with them all but whatever. But yeah you can keep ‘em if you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis doesn’t say anything for some time, just pulls Harry into a tight hug, and nuzzles his neck. His hand travels down to Harry’s belly and for a fleeting second, he places his palm there, right at the center. Harry can barely feel the weight of his hand but he can feel the heat that it omits. It takes the twins running up the stairs to get ready for bedtime to get Louis to snap out of whatever trance he was in, seeing Harry out and promising Harry he would come to their next practice. Harry waves him off, and as he walks back home his stomach is filled with butterflies (and maybe gas), the baby moving around so much it’s like a little football field in there. A not so new but unfamiliar feeling he gets whenever he’s around Louis nowadays.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>____</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t believe I get my license and the first thing you want to do is go to the shopping center,” Niall mutters, he digs into his froyo and plops a glob of it in his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nibbles on him, “You said you had to do Christmas shopping! I’m just trying to help you out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry had them drive to the nearest shopping center, which was Winsford, to get away from everyone in their village. All the judgmental stares and shaking of the head from disappointment really can wear you down after a while. That and the amount of shit people talk behind his back because apparently being pregnant is the most popular Harry has been since he’s been in school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Plus I got us this froyo stuff that you’ve been wanting to try. You’re welcome,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall rolls his eyes and sits down at a bench, looking around at the shoppers. It seems like everyone and their mum were out buying things </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah yeah, piss off,” he muttered. An old couple gives them a look before moving away. “Anyways come look at this freaking couple, they’re practically doing it next to where all the kid shit is holy shit a security guard just pulled them apart.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked over to observe, laughing when the couple starts to go at it again and get pulled apart and told to leave. That’s when Harry sees her, “Holy shit,” Harry grabs Niall’s arm, “That’s…that’s Jennifer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall looks to where Harry is pointing. “Holy shit.” He’s silent for all of ten seconds before he smirks and says. “She’s kinda hot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry rolls his eyes and follows her movement. She’s with a group of other women all talking and laughing, one of their kids pulls at her arm and tugs her into the little kid play area. Jennifer happily starts playing with him like it’s all she wants to do for the next hour. She doesn’t rush him, doesn’t ditch him to go talk to her friends. She stays and plays for a little bit before the group moves on. It brings a smile to Harry’s face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C’mon,” Niall groaned. “This is so boring. I might as well go Christmas shopping since you dragged me here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just as they start to walk away in the direction of where all the kid’s stuff is, they, of course, run into Jennifer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hi Harry.” Her eyes immediately zero in on his stomach before going back up to his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiles, “Hey, Jennifer. What brings you here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She points to her group of friends behind her. “Oh, just doing a little bit of shopping with my girlfriends-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ha, gay.” Niall laughs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shoots him a look, “Just ignore him, please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She continues, “Oh umm, anyways how are you? How is the baby?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I went to get an ultrasound last week and I’m really healthy and so is the baby.” Harry groaned, holding his belly. “Niall said it has a big head like me, but I think they have the same nose as the other dad. But umm, everything is fine really I still have to piss every thirty minutes and I could really go for a big burger right now. And it won’t stop kicking so it’s a none stop football game in there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jennifer perks up at that, “Oh, they’re kicking? Can I…if it’s alright, can I touch?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nods and grabs her hand, placing it at the side. “Yeah, you can touch. And thanks for asking, all day at school people just reach out and touch and it’s like…I’m some type of science experiment or like, an exhibit.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t say anything, just moves her hand around to try and feel the kicks. She looks sad when nothing happens. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry stops her hand from moving away and says, “If you talk to it maybe that will work. My mate, who is also the baby’s other dad, talks to it sometimes and they kick like crazy for him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jennifer gets down on her knees and gets her face as close as possible to his stomach. Her hands are warm against his taut belly. “Hello, baby. I just wanted to say…that I can’t believe how much I love you and you aren’t even here yet. I can’t wait to meet you, baby.” They don’t start kicking right away, but as Jennifer is about to get up they start. “Oh, wow!” she looks around up at Harry in amazement, shaking her head in disbelief and getting up when the kicking stops. “Oh, I have to go but…thank you. I’ll see you…soon, ”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry doesn’t know what to say so he doesn’t say anything. He looks down at his belly, shrugs, and smiles at Niall. “So, should we go get that sweater your mum has been hinting at wanting?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day is just the same as always. He gets stared at where ever he goes, and it doesn’t help that classes seem to drag on forever. During their lunch break, Harry goes to a cafe with Niall and gets as much as he can, before sitting in their regular spot on the little nook in the main hallway. Harry sighs as he bites into his burger. Some football players walk past waddling and pretend to give birth to a fake plastic baby. Harry rolls his eyes, “I can’t wait for this shit to be over. And Danny definitely has a crush on me do you see the way he’s been eye-fucking me lately?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall snorts and bites into his sandwich. “Do you think he thinks your extra hot now that you’re pregnant? What if he imagines you all pregnant and naked and all wet and slimy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Harry weren’t holding his tray he’d push Niall over. “Ni, what the fuck? Anyways I’m meeting up with Louis after his last class you want to come with us to his house?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall shakes his head, “Nah, did you hear he’s taking Sandy to the spring dance?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no way Louis would take Sandy to the spring dance he smells like beans.” This has to be one of Niall’s many jokes, or a dumb rumor that’s been spread about now that Harry isn’t the most popular thing to gossip about anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umm, I’m pretty sure he is since I was there when he did it. But anyways do you think Danny really likes your ugly mug or is it really because you’re pregnant? He did stare at Sarah all the time when she was pregnant.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry gagged, “Please do not call Miss Lawrence by her first name that’s disgusting. And anyways your wrong Louis does not like Sandy, he probably did it as a joke or something. Which is wrong because Sandy probably really likes him or whatever.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall shrugged, “Whatever, mate. Just ask him about it after classes then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Going from class to class, the thought of Louis taking Sandy to the dance floats around in Harry’s head all day. Images of Louis all dressed up and dancing with Sandy fills him with spite. There is no way that Louis even cares enough about the dance to even go, but to take Sandy? There is just no way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry waits at Louis’ car and immediately confronts him when he gets close enough. “So, I hear you’re going to the spring dance with Sandy.” He grits out, shaking his curls out of his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis’ eyes wide, and he goes in for a hug but Harry shrugs him off. “Umm, hello to you too? And yeah me and the football team decided to go and show school spirit. Barely anyone bought tickets and the headmaster thought that it would bring up ticket sales if we go. Micheal is planning on spiking the punch so that should be a very interesting night. Why?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry blows out a breath, he can feel his face heating up. “Niall told me you were going with him. You know he smells like beans right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis shrugs, “He’s been wearing a shit ton of axe now so you can barely smell it. But what’s the problem? Why are you acting mad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry huffs, “M’not mad you’re acting all weird. You don’t even like Sandy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay? Things changed and he’s really cool. He’s changed now, and he’s taking drama a lot more serious and he’s actually a good actor.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, I don’t care how much of a good actor he is, Louis.” Harry knows he’s being all weird right now, but Louis is acting even weirder because no amount of axe body spray is going to make Sandy not smell like beans.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis gives him a look, “Okay? Why are you acting all weird right now? Niall is coming with if that makes things better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugs, crossing his arms and looking down at their snow-covered feet. The baby starts to kick. “Nevermind I just…forget I said anything. Go have fun with your little boyfriend. I’d rather eat a hotdog and clip my toenails than to go that stupid dance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sandy is not my boyfriend. And your acting like a jealous ass right, you know that? You don’t have a right to be mad at me I haven’t done anything wrong.” Louis heads for the driver’s side, pushing his keys in and opening the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not jealous of you and Sandy, I just think it’s fucked up that you’re using him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis shrugs, “Whatever, Harry. Are you gonna get in the car or what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry watches and doesn’t move from where he’s standing at the head of the car. He wants to puke, “You know what you’re right. Sorry maybe I am being all weird, go have fun with all of your football friends who love to crack jokes about me behind my back. I’m sure you love the attention.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do they call you? Do they even care? Do you know what they call me? They make whale noises when I walk down the corridor. I waddle around living with what we did that night right under my fucking shirt while you live in lala land.“ Harry pauses, breathing harshly. “You know…after college, you’re going to be known for so many things. Mostly because you’re a talented little shit who seems to do everything. And you know what I’ll be known for? Getting knocked up at sixteen and that time I got sick on the headmaster’s car. So you know what? I hope you all have fun jerking each other off.” Harry takes off, wanting to be as far away from Louis as possible. Before he gets further away he yells, “and also Danny has a crush on me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>SPRING</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With spring brings a whole new meaning to April showers. It hasn’t stopped raining in days and with the wish-washy weather, his bad back, and Gemma nagging him all the time Harry is ready to scream. Ever since she came home for spring break after not coming home for winter break she’s been insufferable. Right now, she’s helping mum sow an elastic band onto two of Harry’s favorite pairs of trousers. He’s sitting down and trying to watch some kids show on tv while he sips his tea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you need anything, your highness?” Gemma says, holding up one of the pairs of jeans. She’s got a needle tucked in the corner of her mouth so highness sounds like ‘hi nesh’.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry flips her off when his mum isn’t looking. “Why don’t you go shove it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gemma fakes like shes actually offended, gasping and placing a hand over where her heart is. “Mum, are you going to say anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their mum just looks at them, shaking her head, “Harry stop. Gemma, can you please hand me another needle. I broke another one, and please finishing pinning the elastic so we can hurry this up. M’tired of him walking around the house in only his pants.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry looked down at his smooth thighs and giggled, partly because he could barely see them over his large belly. At school now, he just wears a pair of sweats that he’s pretty sure are Louis’ and are the ones he wore when they…did the dirty tango. He remembers Louis pulling them down and wagging his dick around to make Harry laugh. Now Harry can’t even see his own. He frowns, “Mum, when am I due. I think I’m having a crisis right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked at him, “What’s wrong sweetheart? Having more heartburn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry groans, “No, I just…I can’t see my dick anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gemma bursts out laughing, sticking herself with one of the pins and having to suck on her finger to stop the blood.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of all the things to say…” His mum mutters, finishing up sewing up his jeans and leaving to get away from her two giggling children. “And put some damn trousers on!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gemma calms down and gently throws a pair of trousers at him. “So, pregnant McGee.” Harry groans and Gemma swats at his arm. “I haven’t even said anything yet. But…how are you really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugs, looking down at his belly and staring off into space. “I’m fine. A little tired but I’m alright, really.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gemma looks at him, taking his hand and squeezing it. “How are you handling just…what I’m trying to say is are you alright to give the baby away-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry snatches his hand back and stands with a bit of a struggle, taking his trousers and heading out of the room. He did not want to talk about the inevitable, let alone even think or talk about that right now. Of course, he isn’t alright with giving the baby away, at least emotionally he isn’t. But he has to, if he wants to give this kid a chance, he’s going to, and he knows sooner or later he is going to have to make peace with that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Harry weren’t pregnant he’d flop down on his bed but instead, he sits down as gracefully as he can. He picks up his hamburger phone, his hands trembling and a tear threatening to fall as he types in Niall’s number. He sighs, closing his eyes and holding the phone to his ear. “Please pick up, please pick up,” Harry whispers, thanking whoever above when Niall picks up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you about to give birth?” Is the first thing that Niall says as he picks up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry can’t help but smile. “No, I told you I’m not due until May…I think. Anyways what are you doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” he mumbles. “Are you going to the play this Friday? It’s Louis’ second debut.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dunno,” Harry plays around with the cord. He and Louis haven’t been talking to each other a whole lot lately. “More than likely, yeah. Zayn and Liam are supposed to be coming over to spend time with me that day though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is going on with you and Louis? This is the longest you’ve gone without speaking to each other. It’s throwing off the balance in the universe, you two are fucking with the space-time continuum.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry yawns, his hand brushes against his belly and he recoils. “Anyways umm, can you give me the notes tomorrow for Spanish? I missed class yesterday because I got sick and they sent me home.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck sakes,” Niall curses. “ You have the best excuse to get out of class now. I tried getting out of my physics class and Mister Stevens yelled at me. But yeah I’ll give you the notes if you go to Louis’ play and makeup with him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Niall-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>Niall</span>
  </em>
  <span> me. Anyways I have to go, see you at the play on Friday where you will make up with Louis! Bye.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With Harry’s new Friday plans he has Liam and Zayn come over on Thursday to hang out and also to put them to work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t throw that shirt in, it’s not clean.” Harry whines. He’s having them help him put together his bag for when he goes into labor. “Can you lot at least fold them up for me and not just throw them into the bag?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Liam gives him a look, “You’re so boring now. Is this all you’ve called us over to do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umm, if you haven’t noticed I’m pregnant. I haven’t been able to do shit, prick. Anyways thank you </span>
  <em>
    <span>Zayn</span>
  </em>
  <span>, for not complaining and helping me. I couldn’t even reach the bag after I accidentally knocked it on the floor.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zayn snorts, “Is it really true that you can’t bend down to get anything? That you need help tying your shoes?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seeing as I now wear those slide-in shoes all the time, yeah. My belly gets in the way of everything, but at school, it’s like I have a sign that says </span>
  <em>
    <span>AVOID</span>
  </em>
  <span> in big letters on my head. I feel like Moses when he parted the sea.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was that Moses? I thought his name was Joseph?” Liam says, folding the last pair of sweats and flopping down on the floor next to Harry. He grabs a small toy car and uses Harry’s belly like a track. Zayn flops down on Harry’s right and does the same thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry huffs, “Why does everybody like using my belly like a race track? Anyways have you…talked to Louis lately?” He tries to ignore the way his voice gets higher after he says Louis’ name, batting their hands away and sitting up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zayn sighs, “Yeah, he says his schedule is all filled up these next few days and that he’ll get back to us when he can finally show up to practice. Right now we’re at a standstill until he shows up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? I mean can’t we just practice without him?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seeing as he’s the one who knows all of the cords and shit to the songs and can actually read music notes, no,” Liam says.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day Harry decides to skip going to his classes, because for one, he is tired as hell and the baby has been keeping him up all night with the constant moving and kicking, and for two, Harry doesn’t want to face Louis at school. So Harry stays in, makes himself a sandwich for breakfast takes a bubble bath just because he could. Half-past twelve is when Gemma wakes up and decides to keep bugging him, and Harry promptly decides he’d rather be anywhere else where he didn’t have to be questioned all the time. With Niall out of the question and Liam and Zayn have just left, he grabs his things, one of the latest ultrasound scans his mum keeps in a little book in her wardrobe and gets on the train to Warrington.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The train ride over he gets a lot of stares but he doesn’t really mind as much seeing he will never see these people again after this ride. They can think what they think, he knows his truth. When he gets he knocks on the door and stands back and waits, hoping someone will answer. He rings the doorbell for good measure and a bewildered Bruce opens the door after the third knock. “Uhh,” he waivers, staring down at Harry. “Hey, Harry. How are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry says a quick hey to Bruce and makes a beeline for the couch, sitting down with a sigh. “I’m all good I just…I wanted to drop off the new ultrasound scans ‘cause they’re the last ones before I give birth.” He murmurs, pulling out the wrinkled scan from his pocket and hands it over to Bruce. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry watches him stare down at the scan showing no emotions what so ever. He looks caught off guard, and Harry knows he shouldn’t have come unannounced with things now feeling tense and unnerving. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is Jennifer here?” Harry asks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce finally looks up at him, looking zoned out. “Uhh, she just popped down to the shop to get a…few more items for the nursery but she should be heading back soon.” He sets the photo down on the small table beside the couch, sitting down with a sigh arms crossed. Maybe he shouldn’t have come.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wanting to lighten the mood, Harry says, “The last time I was here I saw a room filled with guitars and umm, well I’m in a band actually and my one of my mates has the exact same guitar. But his has like, a bunch of writing and scribbles on it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce’s shoulders shake, and he sits back on the couch smiling. “I use to be in a college band too. It was very nineties Britpop influenced. We were shit really.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry laughed, immediately thinking of Louis. “My mate he…he’s really into Britpop. He makes us do a lot of covers of his favorite songs but I’m more into like, indie shit, and garage bands. The rest of my bandmates make fun of me for it but yeah. I have an acoustic guitar and I think my style of music is much easier to play than theirs so fuck what they say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce laughs again, holding a finger to his lips and making a small sound. “Wait here, yeah. I’m going to go get some things I want you to listen to. Hopefully, I can bring you over to Britpop and get you out of that indie shit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry rolls his eyes, playing with a loose string sticking out from the sleeve of his sweater. “Yeah, Louis already tried that but whatever.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce comes back with a stack of CD’s and CD player, immediately loading one and sitting back and shaking his shaggy hair out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry snorts, “Alright, I know them and their sound is actually sick.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And this isn’t better than that indie shit you listen to?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry flips him off, crossing his arms. “God, not by a long shot but whatever. You’d get along with Louis. He thinks all my music is shit and whenever I play something he immediately starts complaining but secretly I know he likes it he just won’t admit it in front of the other boys. But you both have no taste, a match made in heaven.” Harry coughs into his arm and looks out the window for any sign of Jennifer. “So what music does Jennifer listen to? I’m guessing it’s not this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce’s expression immediately changes at the mention of Jennifer. “She uhh, she likes more radio type music like pop music, top 40 hits or whatever. Britney Spears and the Spice Girls play around here a lot,” He wrinkles his nose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umm, Britney Spears and the Spice Girls are literally God’s do not disrespect them. I may like my indie shit but I will always be a top 40 girl.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce doesn’t say anything, just changes the CD to something Harry doesn’t recognize. “Yeah well, have a listen to this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry scrunches up his nose. “I don’t even think Louis knows who they are. It’s all just…noise.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce laughs and shakes his head. “I’ll let that slide because your only sixteen and you have some time to refine your music palate. I cringe just thinking about the artist you probably listen to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The artist I listen to nowadays are more…underground and unknown I guess.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It goes quiet for a little while, the sounds of Britpop and children playing outside fill the air in comfortable silence. If Harry is being honest the music isn’t that bad, and he quiet enjoys a lot of the music, but he’ll never let them know. The baby starts to stir, and Harry hesitantly places a hand on his stomach. He usually doesn’t like to touch it, only really does so when he washes up. He rubs the sides of his belly and lets his fingers trail to the top where the baby is kicking the most. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What he doesn’t notice is the way Bruce is looking at him, and it takes him a second to register what he’s saying. “Jennifer and I are getting a divorce.” He says it so quietly that Harry can barely hear him over the music.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But as soon as the words register to him he’s up in a second, his heart pounding. “What? What do you mean divorce? What about the baby?” It feels like someone has just dumped a bucket of cold water on him. It feels like he can’t breathe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce looks at him sympathetically. “I just…when we put our picture in the paper a week before you called it was a just in case, and then you came, and then everything happened so fast. I’m…I’m so sorry, Harry. But this has been a long time coming.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shakes his head, his bottom lip wobbling as he tries to hold back his tears. “You can’t just…” His sadness is immediately washed away with hot burning anger. “Why can’t you just go to those couple therapy sessions or whatever or work it out? Why a divorce? Does Jennifer even know?” He feels like he’s going to be sick, he can’t raise this baby, and it’s a little too late to go through the whole process of finding someone else who looks sane to take the kid. “Look just…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Harry</span>
  </em>
  <span>, we’re just…couple’s therapy isn’t going to fix us. I get it, your young and you don’t get that people can just fall out of love but it’s natural.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, you’re a coward. Did you even try? Does she even know or were you just planning on leaving? Were you even going to tell me or were you just going to say keep the baby.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce hangs his head in his hand, and Harry can’t stand to be here anymore. He grabs his things, snatching the ultrasound picture, and walks as fast as he can to the door. Of course, that’s when Jennifer decides to show up. She immediately sets down her bags. “What’s wrong? What happened are you okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry furiously wipes at his tears, peering at the clock on the wall and realizing if he wants to catch the next train back home he has to leave in the next ten minutes. “Nothing,” he whispers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce steps into the foyer, scratching at the nape of his neck. Harry watches as Jennifer looks back and forth between them, putting two and two together. “What did you do?” she whispers, and it’s the first time Harry has seen her look angry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugs, “I told him we’re getting a divorce.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Harry.” She sighs, “We…don’t worry about him it’s just cold feet it happens all the time. I’ve read that it takes a while for men to get used to the idea of having a baby. I…ignore him.” She stammers over her words like she doesn’t even believe him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce shakes his head, “No, no. It’s not cold feet. I told you this whole thing was going to fast. That I don’t think we’re ready for this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jennifer scoffs, crossing her arms and hips cocked. “And how long do I have to wait for you to be ready to have a baby? When you finally stop playing mister Rockstar? When?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bruce doesn’t say anything, and Harry is so close to tears again he just leaves. Sucking in a huge breathe of air as he wobbles down the tears. All he wanted was to give the kid to people who were going to stay together and raise them in a house full of love, where they wouldn't want for anything. Before Harry exits their front garden he pulls out a random paper crumpled up in the back pocket of his jeans and a pen in the pocket of his sweater. A sweater he’s pretty sure is Gemma’s but whatever. He writes Jennifer a letter, shakily walking back to the door and placing the note on the ground, knocking quickly before leaving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The train ride back home has Harry all shaken up. The baby moves a little bit and kicks here and there but for the most part, they barely move the whole ride and walk back. By the time he walks through the door, it’s an hour before the play, and his feet are killing him. He walks into the kitchen and sits down at the table where Robin is. He doesn’t say anything, just lets himself be pulled into a hug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I’ll bite. What’s going on, love?” Robin kisses the top of his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry sniffles, “I just…I need to know if I’m doing the right thing and if… I just need to know that two people can stay together and be happy. That I’ll find that someday,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robin sighs, and squeezes him tighter, “Oh, dear. Harry, my love, you are going to find someone thinks the sun shines out of your ass. Someone who loves you for you and all of your quirks. All of the good and the bad and the ugly and the wonderful and everything in between that. And if they think anything different then…fuck them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bluntness makes Harry laugh, it’s out of character for Robin but it’s what Harry really needed, wiping away at the tears and pulling himself out of the hug. He looks at Robin and smiles, “I think I found that person.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry has Robin drop him off at the college, promising to call if he needs to get picked up after the play. “Don’t get yourself into trouble. You want me to stay and wait for you?” He asks, with a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but thank you.” Harry looks down at his belly, rolling his eyes, “What more mischief could I get into?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the door, Harry pays for a ticket and arrives just as the play is about to start. He doesn’t find Niall in time and has to sit at the back but he doesn’t mind. Louis is as great as he always is, and he’s wearing these white tights that have Harry giggling every time he turns around. The play turns out to be Romeo and Juliet, with Louis as Romeo and some random girl from their year as Juliet. He’s spectacular of course, and when they go to take a bow Louis gets the most applause. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While everyone turns to leave Harry heads for the stage, sneaking into the backstage area and tries to find out where Louis’ room is. All the leads in the play get a small little room backstage to get dressed, and their names are written on the door. It’s hectic backstage, clothing, and flowers flying overhead. People cheering and others crying as this is their last play before the head off to uni. Harry finds Louis with a small group of his castmates, who all leave when they spot Harry coming their way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis looks to him, smiling, “Hey, you made it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nods, pursing his lips, “Yeah, I…I’m sorry for being a total dickhead to you. You didn’t deserve that,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis shrugs. He’s still smiling his face flushed red and shiny with sweat. “I don’t care. I’m just glad to see you and that we’re speaking again. It sucked not talking and avoiding each other.” HE looks around at all the chaos around them “Can you believe this, that was like…the largest crowd we’ve ever had. Did you like the play? How did I do?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nods, stepping closer until he was right in front of Louis. The only thing stopping him from getting closer was his belly. “Yeah, you killed it. I came to see you prance around in those tights. Loved every second of it,” He says it just to make Louis laugh, and he does, throws his head back and everything. His shoulders shaking and his face getting redder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he breathes out, shaking his head. “Of course you would, Harry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry takes a deep breath, </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘just rip the bandaid off’</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thinks to himself. “I also came to tell you that…I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? You mean like…as </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> or?” Louis looks like a deer in the headlights.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No I mean like, you are my best mate and you’re the best person I know. You do everything so…effortlessly and it’s like you aren’t even trying.” Harry knows he’s doing a shit job at explaining himself but it doesn’t matter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis looks at him like he’s the most precious thing in the world. “I try really hard actually.” The </span>
  <em>
    <span>for you</span>
  </em>
  <span> isn’t said but Harry knows what Louis means.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shrugs and rolls his eyes, “And I dunno. People always say shit about you but you don’t even care. You’re so smart and different from everyone else. Doing theater and being a football player and coming to band practice whenever you can and being a great big brother and a great friend is like…so yeah. And you just do it because you love it and you don’t want to disappoint anymore. And you like…you look at me, and you don’t reduce me to just being the boy you accidentally knocked up and every time I think about you or whenever we talk it’s like…it’s like the baby just knows that you’re there with me and starts kicking really hard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis looks like he’s stopped breathing, looking at Harry in disbelief. “Really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nods, taking his hand and placing it on his belly. The warmth from his hands makes Harry shiver. He holds Louis’ hand in the palm of both his own, smiling when the baby immediately starts to kick, and Louis looks in amazement like he can’t even believe it. Harry has fallen in love with a dork.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s because…every time I see you or think of you my heart starts beating really fast.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis looks at him with so much love in his eyes. Harry hopes that Louis can feel the love in his stare. “Mine too,” he whispers, leaning forward slightly and kissing Harry. They’ve been mates since secondary school, and somewhere along the way, Harry had fallen in love. He thinks that he’s loved Louis since he first saw him, all the way back in year seven when Louis first moved to his tiny little village. His hair had been cut in an awful choppy cut that he said he gave himself, and he’d always make Harry laugh no matter where they were. They just did things a little backward, had a baby first and then said I love you. But they’ve never been normal mates. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ignore the quiet giggling and laughter somewhere behind them. Harry, without breaking the kiss, flips them off where ever they are in the small corridor. Louis just squeezes his hips and smiles into the kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>SUMMER</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry has the baby in May. And it goes like this:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On a random day a few weeks after classes end, which was actually a week from his due date, he starts to get contractions. No matter how many people try to describe the feeling of contractions to you it does not prepare you at all for the pain. It starts low in his abdomen and travels to the tips of his feet like an aftershock. He’s had them before, ever since he started getting closer to his due date but they’ve never hurt this bad. He’s laying in bed when it happens, staring at the ceiling in shock. It takes at least a few minutes and another wave of contractions to hit before he realizes that it’s gone time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mum!” he yells, hands going to the sides of his belly and rubbing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, love!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think…I think it’s time! Code baby!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s silent for a little bit before the door to his room burst open and Gemma stands in the doorway with his hospital bag slung over her shoulders. She looks at him, and then his stomach, and the laughs, “What are you doing just laying there? C’mon, let’s have a baby!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The drive to the hospital doesn’t take long at all, but Harry has them stop by to get Niall because he would actually murder him if he wasn’t in the room during the labor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I cannot believe you’re about to pop out a freaking baby,” Niall says, watching as Harry changes into a gown and walks around while he waits for the epidural. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He winces when another one hits, they’re nine minutes apart and his doctor hasn’t shown up to the hospital yet but is apparently ten minutes away. “It hurts so freaking bad,” he whines. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall frowns, kicking his feet up, “Fuck I’d hate to be you right now. What does it even feel like? Like is it a burning feeling?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry shakes his head, “No it’s like…I dunno how to describe it it’s like…pain I don’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” His feet are starting to hurt from walking back and forth, but it feels better to walk around then to lay in bed and just let them happen. When the doctor shows up she quickly accesses him and checks how far along he is, telling him that he should have the baby within the next hour or two if his contractions start coming faster. She orders him an epidural and as soon as it hits his system he sighs in relief. “I can’t even feel like…the bottom half of my body.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall pokes him in the leg while his mum and Robin talk with the doctor. “Did you feel that?” he asks. Harry shakes his head and Niall pokes him again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t feel it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The baby comes within in the next hour, Gemma stays in the waiting room with Robin to keep him company and his mum and Niall come with him to deliver the baby. He cries when he hears the baby cry, squeezing their hands, and immediately closing his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As much as Harry tried to imagine himself, seventeen and immature, raising another little human being he couldn’t. When the nurses asked if he wanted to see him Harry immediately turned them down, with a sad smile. Robin sits with him while his mum went to go see the baby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s funny, during all the ruckus, Harry forgot to tell Louis. With so much going on in the span of four hours and it being Louis’ last football game of the season Harry didn’t want him to worry. Of course, somehow, Louis just knew, and rumor has it he stopped playing in the middle of the game to run to the hospital. They ended up winning anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he got here, all out of breath and in his football gear, Robin placed a kiss to his head and whispered to him, “Your time will come. I promise,” Before he leaves the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis didn’t say anything, just held Harry while he cried, playing with his fingers and kissing his neck. Doing anything he can, to silently comfort him. Nobody can prepare you for how hard it is to give away your baby. Not the doctors who asked if they should immediately get the baby out of the room when it’s out, not his mum who tries her hardest to comfort him, or Niall who tries to hold back tears. The empty feeling that washes over you as you try to reason with your decision wondering if you’ve made a mistake. But the thing is, is that the baby never really felt like theirs. From the start, it was never really theirs, and now he was going to a loving home. And as hurt as Harry is right now, he knows now that he made the best decision for both of them. He just wished it didn’t hurt this much.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>____</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’ve just finished their first band practice of the summer season. With the last of the instruments all back away in the back of Liam’s new minivan, Harry waved them off as he sat in one of his mum’s lawn chair. Louis looks to him with a smile, getting out of the van and saying something quickly to Niall, sat in the front seat with his fresh blonde hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Niall rolls his eyes, yelling as they drive away, “Try not to make another baby!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis walks up to him and shields his eyes from the sun, his skin glowing and golden in the light. He bends down, gives Harry a quick peck, before sitting in the chair opposite him. Harry starts strumming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, I listened to that song you were really into. It’s not that bad but it works more as a quiet little duet than with a full band behind it.” Louis says, messing about with a sharper and his new shoes his mum just bought him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nods, playing the opening cords. “Then sing with me, let’s see how we sound.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis shrugs, “Alright, you start then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry starts to sing, “You’re a part-time lover and a full-time friend. The monkey on your back is the latest trend. I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else.” He looks at Louis and smiles, “but you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis pinks just a little bit, picking up from where Harry stops. “I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train. Kiss you all starry-eyed my body swing from side to side. I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else, but you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry makes a face just to make Louis laugh, continuing to strum and singing, “Here is the church and here is the steeple, we sure are cute for two ugly people. I don't see what anyone can see in anyone else, but you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Louis can go into his next line he leans over and kisses Harry, all slow and full of love.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed it!! Thank you for reading! <a href="https://leedsau.tumblr.com/post/623389880922308609/anyone-else-but-you-by-leedsau-aiienharry-in">Fic post here &lt;3</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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